CEMETERY
AND HISTORIC SITES PROGRAM 14(h)(1)
In
1993 Kawerak, Inc., the regional non-profit Tribal Compact agency enterred
into an agreement with the BIA/ANCSA office to recieve funding to conduct
14(h)(1) investigations in the Bering Straits region. Through an agreement
with BSNC and BSF this funding has been directed to the Foundation to continue
those investigations. BSF has located a number of previously undocumented
sites and is pursuing reolution of outstanding applications and issues
of the 14(h)(1) selections.
14(h)(1)
STEERING COMMITTEE
In
February of 2000 employess of all of the Regional Native Corporations who
have been involved with 14(h)(1) work met in Anchorage and formed the 14(h)(1)
Steering Committee. This organization provides an opportunity for the Corporations
to jointly address some of the outstanding issues surrounding the successful
completion of the 14(h)(1) selection, investigation, and conveyance process.
CASE
FILES RECONSIDERED
An
issue addressed by the Steering Committee shortly after its formation was
the fact that many important cultural sites were selected and investigated
but rejected either by BIA ANCSA or BLM. Some of these rejecttions were
due to determination, investigation or adjudication errors. The BIA ANCSA
office, under the direction of Ken Pratt with assistance from the Steering
Committee successfully proposed a solution to the problem of the closed
case files. On January 5, 2001, Secretarial Order 3220 was signed. This
order provides the opportunity for Regional Corporation to request reconsideration/reinvestigation
of those case files that were closed in error. As of January 2003, the
deadline for reconsideration requests, all but one Regional Corporation
(BBNC) requested that BIA ANCSA reopen the case files listed on the Secretarial
Order. Bering Straits Regional Corporation has submitted requests for the
reconsideration of all 39 sites listed on the Order.
FIELD
INVESTIGATIONS STEPPED UP
Because
of the Secretarial Order, BSNC now has a renewed opportunity to receive
many cemetery and historic sites that were previously lost in the adjudication
process. In fact, some of the sites appearing on the Secretarial Order
have already been investigated and reports prepared as part of the ongoing
efforts of the BSF/BSNC 14(h)(1) program. In addtion, during the summer
of 2002, BSF and BIA ANCSA coordinated in field surveys in the eastern
Norton Sound and Imuruk Basin areas. This resulted in the collection of
information on 7 sites and should be useful in demonstrating their eligiblity
pursuant to Section 14(h)(1). Further filed work is slated for the summer
of 2003, provided adequate funding is made available through BIA and Kawerak,
Inc..
Update,
March 2003: OMILAK FOUND ELIGIBLE
Late
in 2002, the efforts of the 14(h)(1) Program and the intent of Secretarial
Order #3220 were rewarded. Omilak, case file F-21982, was re-evaluated
by the BIA ANCSA office and found to be eligible as a cemetery site. This
area was where, late in the 19th century, the first mining operation began
on the Seward Peninsula. It is also the place where two men from the Fish
River region were slain by miners. To read the report and the story of
Omilak, click here
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Updated
March 11, 2003
Copyright
2003 Bering Straits Foundation
